As a gamer growing up pumping quarters into Metal Slug, I was pleased to see someone other than SNK taking another stab at the 2D shooter genre this late in the game. A genre I thought had all but died has slipped in under the radar as CT Special Forces. Coming from a somewhat unknown developer, I have to admit I was a little skeptical on what to expect. But luckily, I was pleasantly surprised with this nice little offering.

visuals

All of the graphics in CT Special Forces were nicely done. The background environments are adequate and immerse you in the experience for the most part. Every so often you’ll find yourself in similar looking areas, but that’s really more of a level design issue than a problem from the artistic side of the coin. Even more pleasing than the backgrounds are the character animations. Both playable and non-playable characters don’t slack on animation frames. This gives the game a more fluid look and, oddly enough, makes you feel more in control.

audio

The audio is pretty much what you expect from a title like this. You won’t really be further drawn into the experience through the sound effects and background music, it gets the job done. Everything is in place where you expect it to be, and the music never gets to the point of annoyance, which is something somewhat hard to avoid given the GBA’s limited sound capabilities.

gameplay

Because of the look and feel of this game, it’s hard not to set it up next to the cult classic Metal Slug series. However, once you delve deeper into the game you'll notice some differences between two. CT Special Forces feels a more like a platformer or adventure game at times than a standard 2D shooter. You'll often find yourself backtracking and going on side missions such as forced-scrolling air combat missions, sniping areas, and parachuting challenges. The change of pace is enjoyable and keeps the experience fresh throughout. While this sense of exploration was an interesting take on the genre, it often left the game feeling slow-paced and somewhat boring at times.

Ultimately, the backtracking really didn't fit the game well. Most of the time you'll be shooting your way through the level only to come to an obstacle where you need to run back and get an item you overlooked. This makes the game feel artificially lengthened. It’s a shame, because the game isn’t a short experience by any means. This, not being able to shoot while you run, and firing what I like to call molasses bullets really drags the game down and makes the game tedious at times.

multiplayer

You need two cartridges to play with a friend via the link cable. These 2D shooters are always more fun to play with a friend, so it was nice to see that they took the time to implement this option into the game, albeit a pricey option.

overall

CT Special Forces was a surprisingly fun title from out of the blue. It’s just a shame to see the odd direction tthe developer took with by slowing the game’s action down so much. However, qualms aside, the game is a solid experience with enough variety to show most any fan of the genre a good time.